Monkeypox virus detected in Pakistan, authorities urge public to take precautions
The person infected is said to have traveled from Saudi Arabia and landed in Pakistan on April 17
LAHORE (Web Desk) – Pakistan has reported its first case of monkeypox, according to the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination.
The person infected is said to have travelled from Saudi Arabia and landed in Pakistan on April 17, with symptoms of monkeypox.
The identity of the infected person has been kept confidential, but officials say the person is a resident of either Rawalpindi or Islamabad. Samples of the infected person were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, and on Monday, the facility confirmed that the individual was carrying the infectious virus.
The ministry has begun tracing contacts of the infected person and has put all airports in the country on high alert.
The authorities have also sent samples of suspected patients to the NIH. Monkeypox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, which is transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the common symptoms of monkeypox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can last 2–4 weeks and are accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
The disease is treated with supportive care, while vaccines and therapeutics developed for smallpox and approved for use in some countries can be used for monkeypox in some circumstances.
Since May 2022, a global outbreak of human monkeypox infections has been reported in over 78,000 people, and the discovery of this case in Pakistan has raised concerns about the potential spread of the disease in the country.
The authorities are urging people to take necessary precautions, including maintaining good hygiene practices and avoiding contact with infected individuals and animals.
